His life story was big because he made his story about everybody else. They were the hero of his life story. Because of this, he became so unforgettable, the pharmacist at the local Jewel-Osco came to his wake.

Three days before Christmas.

My father, Frank Anthony LoDestro, taught me about the powerful storyline of life. Same goes for start-up founders. When you’re pitching an investor, your goal is to create believers, not just buyers of your idea. Our brains are hardwired for story.

Story is how we make pitches unforgettable — the golden ticket when it comes to asking for money.

I recently spoke about story at Investing in Women sponsored by Women Tech Founders — boss ladies of the tech world. Woot! Woot! A parade of start-up CEOs pitched to a panel of 10 investors.

The event was fab, of course, because it was chaired by Chicago’s InspiHER Tech Founder and career strategist rock star Laurie Swanson. (So great to have Katherine Kelly, my daughter, by my side, too!!!!)

What do I remember from the founder pitches? Their stories.

Charu Swaminathan, co-founder and CEO of Mishkalo, talked about how her company gives newlyweds an art alternative to traditional gift registry.

Shirley Yang of Muses shared her vision for the gig economy and her company is going to spur economic growth.

Deepa Kartha of Zinda told the story we are all familiar with — a man named “Ken” whose positivity was etched away by workplace disengagement and dismissiveness. Zinda increases employee engagement, a direct parallel to profit and, well, happiness.

And never, EVER will I forget founder Dana Todd of Balodana. Her company is bringing the dressmaker back through technology. She shared how menopause had created her squishy hamster-like shape (menopause is our greatest villain, gals!). Her imagery, her metaphors, her STORY was unforgettable.

There were more stories. I could go on. And, yes, as two investors pointed out at the end, numbers are key. They are in it, after all, to make a pile of money.

But if it was just the numbers, why pitch investors at all? Why not just submit the prospectus and be done with it?

Because people still do business with people. Whether you’re a VC, angel investor or institutional investor, human beings still make the decisions. Fact: The founder story is not the only reason investors say “yes,” but it does give the “why” behind the facts and data.

1. Believe in Your Story

You have to be all-in when it comes to your pitch. No self-limiting talk (like “I just wanted to run an idea by you” or “I know you may not be interested in this, but . . .”) or hesitation (you can’t sink the ball if you don’t take the shot). There’s a confidence gap between men and women. According to a Hewlett Packard internal report, men will happily apply for a promotion if they meet 60 percent of the criteria. Women feel they need to meet 100 percent of the criteria. Believe in your story — this is your “unique.” Nobody else has your narrative.

2. Keep Your Story in Your Back Pocket

You’ve got your investor deck and you think you’re all set? Fair enough. But this wouldn’t have helped Scott Ferreira and his sister Stacey who were at a party hosted by Sir Richard Branson. Scott says the “laid back and casual style” made it a lot easier to “talk openly” about his company. Less than a month later, Sir Branson and his partner Jerry Murdock invested in MySocialCloud. Be prepared to meet an investor anywhere — at the salon, in an elevator, at your child’s band concert.

3. Your Story Has a Hero

In your investor pitch, the hero of your story is your current/future customer. As human beings, the world revolves around us. When investors see that the market — customers you know inside and out — are the center of your story, you will gain attention posthaste. You are the GUIDE in your story. Ask: What superpower does your company give the hero to succeed?

4. Find the Conflict

If Rose Dawson from the movie The Titanic had boarded the big, fancy boat, enjoyed the shrimp cocktail and reached her destination, dripping with sparkling sapphires from her long, beautiful fingers, there would have been no story. Every great story has conflict. The antagonist of your story could be a situation, the plight of your customers if they don’t have your product/service, stunted growth for your growth-hungry company, less agility for your market, time suck for an entire legion of people, less options for the masses — whatever villain causes angst for your hero.

5. Pick Your Theme: Origin, Vision, Cause, Triumph, Innovation

Among corporate storytellers, controversy abounds around theme. In the latest edition of The Sophisticated Marketer, it cites seven main ones. A regular go-to article I love is by English author Grace Jolliffe who writes “A story without a theme is little more than a list of events.” She sites more than 20.

Story is so visceral and self-interpretive that I believe it’s up to the individual storyteller to decide. However, five powerful themes race to the top when it comes to pitching your investor story:

• Origin: There is a problem and the founders, who are the best equipped to solve it, know the path.

• Vision: I love this story theme and used it successfully for a client pitching an existing investor they wanted to tap for more. Start with the vision of your amazing new world made possible with the funding. Then fast forward to the present and the remarkable journey to making the vision real.

• Cause: There’s a problem that impacts people’s lives, triggered by an antagonist that isn’t going away (and is probably going to get worse), that leads to a face-off between your customers and the big, bad villain and BOOM! Your company can help the customer survive/leap/escape/grow/heal/love life/innovate better/be more productive/etc.

• Triumph: The triple crown. You are solving the customer’s external (the obvious one), internal (what keeps them up at night) and philosophical problems (making the larger world a better place).

• Innovation: There’s nothing out there like it. Time to turn the market upside down.

6. When Culture and Brand Tango

Include a line or two showing an investor two worlds: culture (how people inside your organization will/are talking and thinking about your company) and brand (how people outside your organization will/are talking and thinking about your company).

7. Know Your “Why”

The “why” god Simon Sinek has this point covered. Pay him homage. He says: “Always build your story from the inside out, starting with the WHY.” Here are the hurdles: leap beyond WHAT you do, put HOW you do it on hold, and get to the meat with an investor: WHY your business idea is so fantastically important for your customers, the financiers and the world at large.

8. CAR: Context, Action, ResultA great book on business storytelling comes from Lead With A Story by former Proctor and Gamble exec Paul Smith. He has this formula called CAR: context, action, results. It’s an easy way to assemble your story (I learned this concept from Orbit Media co-founder/CMO and Chicago content rock star Andy Crestodina who writes killer blogposts. He wrote something along the lines that great stories aren’t written, they are assembled. I’ve never forgotten this).

Context is your business backstory. Action is the conflict — the highest point of tension where you customers are battling their nemesis. The results come by way of the amazing new world you create with your business idea and how you’ve resolved your customer’s angst.

9. Last Words About Your Logline (Your 10-Second Pitch)

Every movie has a logline, it’s one sentence that sums up the screenplay. Movies have been bought and sold on these one-liners. They are short, clear and — have a shade of emotion.

Your investor story has a logline too.

Your homework: Pretend you are attending a favorite event (for me, this might be La Traviata at the Lyric Opera or a front row seat at a Lana Del Rey concert), and your seat happens to be right next to a potential investor.

Idle chit chat ensues. Your heart has more reverb than the music. This is your BIG chance. Afterward, you are eye-to-eye with the investor. You say: “There’s a reason we met tonight. When you hear the story behind my company, you will be absolutely amazed what a great fit we can be. I give (your hero) the (superpower) to rise above (conflict). We’re changing the world here for (your hero) and it’s important because (your why). When can we talk?”

Then schedule that call/meeting and choose a theme to pitch your longer narrative.

Your investor pitch will be epic. Just like the many stories you’ve heard in your life — and never forgotten.

As your company’s sales projections for 2019 are being finalized and the marketing team prepares its strategy for going live with your messaging, it’s time to evaluate the WHY behind your company.

An analogy can be made from Halloween. Trick-or-treaters dress up in costume and go door-to-door with one goal in mind: to bring home the bounty. That’s their prize. There’s an unwritten contract that if the receiver dresses up in costume, the giver will hand over the goods. Companies also have a trust contract with prospects and customers. Content nurtures those relationships so when it’s time for the big “ask,” you are on the short list.

So what’s the WHY behind your mask? What’s your company’s heart and soul? Those are the stories that you should be planning for next year. You, and only you, own those stories. Your closest competitor won’t have the same stories you have.

Dozens of princesses, superheroes and witches trick-or-treat, but there is usually one that stands out with her/his creativity, originality or design (we had a giant hot dog stop at our house this year -- there aren’t many of those around). Believe it or not, you want to be that hot dog.

● On Nov. 8, Michele will present “PItch Your Investor Story” to the Women Tech Founders at Galleria Marchetti in Chicago. The real-time investor pitch (think Shark Tank) will be followed by the WTF Awards. (This may be the best title for an award yet. Who wouldn’t want to have a WTF Award on their desk?)

● On Nov. 9, a one-hour interactive presentation “The Power of Storytelling” will be held at STEAMfest, 2018 an event hosted by Steam Ahead at Hub 88’s headquarters along the I-88 suburban high- tech corridor.

There, you saw the inner workings of an earnest manufacturing company, the kind striving to show up as a leader, the one hosting this second in a series of meetings by Valley Industrial Association’s Sustainability Committee headed up by Tim Tremain, president of MTH Pumps.

Beyond the single pane was an amalgam of clean silver metal, a patterned ceiling of conduit pipes crisscrossing like a maze, and massive industrial pendants showering brilliant light among people moving, walking, working with large rolls of multi-colored cloth and swaths of tape for industrial applications. In the distance, steam hissed and machines hummed.

ASTG President Dan LaTurno pointed to the window and said, “Out there, we have the best group of people.” Referencing ISO 14001, he added, “We’re a 100-plus-year-old company (that) needed more conformity.” For most manufacturers, conformity means ISO certification. ASTG’s Quality Engineer Paula Kirby (a Six Sigma Black Belt herself) talked about how the organization, a wide width coating and finishing company, approached ISO 14001.

To the more than 20 members and guests of the VIA, Paula shared: “ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 are about continuous improvement. It’s a journey. It’s an evolving management system.”

ISO 14001: Start Here

According to Paula, the first step is grabbing a copy of the “ISO 14001 Overview.” It outlines: benefits, challenges and key factors for successful implementation. Then, encourage everyone across the company to take a balanced approach to quality and environmental management systems (EMS).

To Do:

• Look at the environmental needs and goals within the context of your organization

• Identify key stakeholders and their expectations

• Assign key roles and responsibilities

• Review requirements — the bulk of ISO 14001 is planning

• Get the leadership team on board

• Draft procedures and policies

The Plan-Do-Check-Act Approach

Getting ISO 14001-certified provides third-party feedback, which inspires confidence from others outside your company. Objectivity gives you critical improvement advice and may even exempt your company from some customer audits. Paula recommends putting a system in place and then getting certified. ISO experts will come in and do a gap assessment first.

Paula adds that ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 are 75 percent the same, but also cautions that ISO certifications do not remove legal requirements or even translate into 100 percent success. Instead, EMS is about continuous improvement.

To Do:

• Find a registrar for certification

• Use a Plan-Do-Check-Act approach (see below)

• Implement and audit internally before bringing in the registrar

• Understand the relative severity of compliance points — know the difference between nice-to-haves and must-haves

Here’s a quick summary of a Plan-Do-Check-Act approach:

PLAN: Start here. A continuous improvement approach means you may be circling back to planning if you want greater improvement.

DO: Implement specific goals, requirements and steps to follow for line operators.

CHECK: Monitor key data points like electric use and paper recycling.

ACT: If you’re not performing up to par according to the data, take corrective action. Ask: can you do better?

Timeline to Certification and Critical Factors For Success

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group began allocating resources to ISO 14001 in 2009. The next year, they conducted internal of audits with an expert outside the organization. It takes about a year of preparation before a registrar comes in. In 2011, the company earned the initial certification. ASTG had five minor non-conformances. It responded with an implementation plan.

“In 2015, we started over because we moved (to Yorkville),” says Paula, “and we got certified that same year. They don’t have to fill in all the lines anymore. We have a mature system now with less than two minor non-conforms. We want to be sure we’re doing the right thing and controlling our impact. (ISO 14001 is) everything that impacts the environment, determining what is a risk, and the planning to minimize those impacts.”

Critical factors for success include:

• Invite top level managers to drive the program

• Inspire commitment and engagement from all levels of your organization

• Fully integrate ISO 14001 with your existing management system (the two are not separate)

• Embrace transparency — this may seem hard, but it’s necessary in order to improve

Biggest Challenge

The biggest challenge with ISO 14001, oftentimes, is not knowing what may arise. An example: An auditor finds an aerosol can left by the cleaning staff. He or she asks: What’s your plan for aerosol? Havinga cross-functional team to brainstorm possible scenarios is key.

“Buy-in was never a problem. They care about the environment. They don’t want to have an adverse impact,” says Paula. “You just have to make sure everyone understands the environmental policy — even temps or an electrician working for the day.”

To Do:

• Don’t get hung up on your score

• Do a sanity check to ensure scores match the reality of where you should be expending effort

• Document requirements concisely, clear and focused

• Identify all requirements — but don’t get mired down in reference material. It’s good to have these on hand, but not necessary to memorize manuals from places like the Illinois EPA, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, OSHA, Department of Transportation, California Prop 65, and European Reach.

ASTG’s Environmental Projects Beyond ISO 14001

“We’ve worked on some sustainability projects on our own. We found where we can make our lives betters,” said Kevin Shroba, a plant engineer for ASTG. ASTG’s energy efficient building was built from the ground up. The lights are LED. There are new, highly efficient boilers. The company has even analyzed paper recycling since losing their waste hauler in the move.

Since the company opened its new 124,000-square-foot facility, it has received about $640,000 back in incentives from Nicor and ComEd (ASTG is a big user of heat and water). Using variable speed drives has netted about $8,000 back and using LED lighting with 1,000-watt fluorescent bulbs has resulted in $131,000 in incentives.

In Closing

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from VIA’s Sustainability Committee meeting is found in Steve Jobs’ quote: “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”

As part of its strategy, ASTG embraced ISO 14001 as a company. VIA members and guests had the rare opportunity to learn how ASTG’s all-in, all-of-us culture is moving the company forward as a socially conscious, mindful manufacturer.

Michele Kelly is co-founder of K+L Storytellers, a B2B storytelling and content company for culture-driven organizations and the storytelling agency for the Valley Industrial Association.

Miranda Rodriguez, founder of Marketing Uninhibited, loves rabbit holes. She regularly jumps down them to advise businesses about marketing (as a word girl, I’m awestruck by people who voluntarily do this). Miranda and I grabbed a couple leather chairs at Tredwell Coffee, a super chic hangout in downtown Aurora, right next to her office. We chatted up marketing like it was everybody’s top priority (and it really should be).

As a writer, I know for fact that asking the right questions can mean the difference between flying down the highway and sitting roadside with a flat. So as Miranda started talking, I found her general conversational wisdom about brand and marketing absolutely fascinating. So I offered to write a blog on it. Here’s what she shared.

Start with Discipline

Your to-do lists and goals are golden. Stick with them. This takes severe discipline (the kind my fourth grade teacher Sr. Monica demanded — strict and clear). Growth-bound businesses are overwhelmed. For example, networking is a goal that consumes a lot of time. So does blogging and social media and speaking gigs. Focusing on less with more effort gives more focused results (and keeps your sanity in check).

You have to trust your marketing. Believe in marketing like you believe in your dog at the end of a bad day or your best friend from college who never let you walk home alone. No matter your marketing plan, you have to trust it will work. Marketing is a long haul. Frustration after a week is energy wasted. Give your brand strategy up to six months.

………………

Question No. 2

Is our marketing strategy taking us in the direction we want to go?

………………

If You Have a Vision, Then You are Sound

Recently, I was sharing with a client our desire to grow in 2019. He said to me, “Just saying you want to grow is a step toward making it happen.” Our exchange reminds me of Miranda’s point about vision: If you see where you want to go, you have a sound business. You’ll build your path. She says you have to be “unwavering” in what you want to accomplish. You might not know all the steps (that’s where Miranda comes in, so keep her contact information close!), but keep going. While minutia is an important part of the process, the larger vision is just as important. I loved how she explained that when you understand the big picture, the little steps in between make a lot more sense.

………………

Question No. 3

Do you believe, with 100% confidence, in your business mission?

………………

How do you find your brand confidence? Share your ideas here so we can keep the discussion going.

The question sounds like a refrain that a couple might utter while standing at the altar. But for my beautiful bride of 27 years, it comes up nearly every evening as we transition from business partners to life partners.

Friends, family and clients are fascinated (and dumbfounded) that Michele and I operate K+L Storytellers AND are wife and husband. “We’d be divorced” is a common response we hear through a haughty laugh and swig of a vodka-esque drink.

One point for sure: It’s not always easy. In fact, it can get darn right nasty as business and marriage roles often intertwine, making neither very fun.

So how do we make it work?

There’s not an easy answer. One advantage we have is that our children are older. They are not tugging at Mom every 15 minutes. Another advantage is that we’ve been in business together on and off since 2003. The nature of the business has shifted, from public relations/communications to storytelling and content.

Our business, like so many others, took a massive blow in late 2007 through 2011 when our clients were cutting costs in their own fight to stay afloat. As a result, I returned to the corporate world, which stabilized our family and financial lives, but also strengthened my education. I worked with younger people who mentored me in SEO and social media. I teamed with marketing professionals who guided me on brand strategy. I sat next to data scientists who analyzed and heralded the importance of the numbers behind PPC, website visits and posted content clicks. I learned from other business owners on how to grow a business, engage new clients and how to better manage cash flow.

And then, through no fault of my own, I was laid off on my 58th birthday.

After countless job interviews and with no contract in hand, Michele asked if I wanted to rejoin the company. I was humbled and embarrassed because it was the only offer on my plate. But I was hardened in my resolve to help build the business back to peak form.

We are doing that. Together. As business partners. As wife and husband. As “The First Couple of Story,” a phrase used to introduce us recently as we shared the speaker stage. If that’s how people see us, we’re all in.

We comfort in knowing how the other person thinks, how we best work and what makes the other person’s head explode. We know we’ve always got each other’s backs. We can avoid landmines by staying out of each other’s way and trusting the other’s skills. We’ve learned to take emotion out of our strategy discussions (not easy for my Italian partner), and we’ve become better listeners.

One absolute key to our business success is to physically and verbally shut it down at the end of each Friday. It’s satisfying to play husband and wife with a martini (me) and a glass of Malbec (Michele) in hand on the back terrace at the end of the week. Wouldn’t you agree, Babe? (Full disclosure, Michele ignores me when I let this slip in a business setting. However, I often notice a hint of a smile.)

Tomorrow, Aug. 31, is our wedding anniversary, and I am more sure than ever that in business and in life, I picked the right partner.

Who is the little girl in the picture? Are the firemen in this picture happy? Regretful? What were their dreams?

On Aug. 1 and 2 at the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, I'll be teaching middle schoolers how to write in a six-hour, two-day short story writing workshop called Your Extraordinary Story.

When young authors find creative confidence -- creating the characters, plot, voice and details, editing their work -- they can tackle just about anything. Write a story. Be an author for life.

This is the third year for Your Extraordinary Story. It started with a friend (thank you, Alex!) whose daughter liked to write. I put a flyer together and, boom, we had a workshop at the Aurora Public Library.

I had always wanted to encourage youth to write because I meet many adults who tell me they can't put a sentence together. Honestly, I attribute this to someone in their life who planted the self-limiting belief. Was it a teacher who scrawled "F" across the top of an English paper? Or someone who said, "That sounds ridiculous" to a poem or story?

Writing is like anything else -- with encouragement and practice, you can be truly great at it. And it's so exciting to shape ideas, like clay, with words. Writing is everyone's tool.

I do one YES for Youth workshop each summer and upon request (we launched YES Corporate for companies earlier this year- super fun!). Writing makes a difference. Here's proof.

Every Tuesday this past school year, I took YES to remedial readers at Washington Middle School in my hometown of Aurora. Guess what? The My Genius Now program, which connected the arts with remedial readers, saw reading scores go up! I was excited about this leap, but not surprised. Reading requires confidence too.

These young authors inspire me. They trust their intuition when they create. They are brave. You have to be brave to write. You're sharing ideas, a story arc, a character's hopes. You choose words from a pool of thousands. You choose whether these words are quiet or loud or melodious or staccato. You're prioritizing arguments along a line of thinking. You are blossoming out the story with vivid detail.

Children do all of this without thinking, without fear. They trust their inner creative.

Back to the picture. One can only imagine their lives. And that is the place where ideas are born. The imagination. That's where photos like this one endure.

Courage. Words. Creativity. Confidence. Writing. YES!!!

To register for Your Extraordinary Story, go to Eventbrite. For more information, contact Michele Kelly, co-founder of K+L Storytellers, at (630) 697-2652 or michele@klstorytellers.com.

I recently walked the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago, trying the many varieties of beef jerky, hot pickles and health bars. Yes, health bars. I could hear my wife Michele whisper in my ear from 40 miles away: “Pass on the beef jerky and eat healthier.” And so I did. Well, kind of. LOL.

As I sauntered the aisles and talked to people, I came across three companies that really impressed me because of their impact brand stories.

Story #1: Kiwa

This Ecuadorian-based manufacturer of premium vegetable chips has a great story about working directly with regional farmers to provide them with an improved way of life.

Kiwa sales manager Maria Jose Guillen.

Through its direct trade with farmers, Kiwa provides self-sustaining economic success to small, impoverished farmers, many of whom farm unique vegetables that are only native to South America. “We work with development organizations to help farmers get out of poverty,” said Maria Jose Guillen, sales manager for Kiwa, whose chips can be found in more than 30 countries. In the Chicago area, the many variety of chips many varieties of chips include plantain, beetroot, cassava and native potatoes share shelf space with more recognizably-named chips at Mariano’s and Pete’s Fresh Markets.

“Think about the many men and women working in remote fields and villages, left behind and oftentimes forgotten by a world that continues to move faster and faster. We proudly connect small farmers in Ecuador and Peru with world markets. Every time someone enjoys a Kiwa product, the collective heart of humanity beats a little louder,” says Kiwa co-founder Martin Acosta. That’s impressive, and the chips are delicious. Never thought I’d eat a beetroot chip. (Full disclosure: Kiwa is a client of K+L Storytellers).

Story #2: This Bar Saves Lives

Emily Baker, social media and retail marketing specialist.

If this company name doesn’t scream: “Listen to my story,” I’m not sure what does. And listen I did. With each bar sold, this Los Angeles-based company provides a portion of the proceeds to nutrient packets, which are delivered to malnourished children around the world.

“Every time you buy a bar, we give life-saving nutrition to a child in need. We eat together,” is the company’s mantra said Emily Baker, social media and retail marketing specialist for the company. This Bar Saves Lives has provided millions of nutrient packets saving thousands of children around the globe, she said.

That’s a feel good for everyone.

Story #3: Fresh Toys

At first glance, I thought Fresh Toys was like a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Inside each box of gummy candies, there is a miniature toy from one of eight collection themes: fairies, pirates, ponies, kitties, puppies, warships, ivy schools and homes. The packages and toys are all designed by 20 young moms and dads whose intent it is to “make kids smile, and give a boost to their imagination, good heartedness and happiness,” according to co-founder Alex Polanski.

Being a creative myself, I marveled at how the company’s goal is to have children use these toys to create stories and to fantasize, much like our generation did by playing with green plastic US Army men or doll houses with miniature rooms and furniture. “Our ultimate mission is to provide affordable, safe, and fun novelty toys. And that’s what we do," according to Polanski.

Even the company’s title focuses on the toys rather than the candy. Founded in Europe, the company has only recently distributed in the United States, although to find them in stores, you will have to travel to Pennsylvania or Wyoming until distribution ramps up.

Great stories, cool products and impactful brands. Now, where did I put my stash of beef jerky?

5 young authors. 3 stories. 1 published book. THEY DID IT!!!!

What do you know that you can give away? How can you change young people for life? What is your legacy, that leave-behind to the world?

Two years ago, I started a program called Your Extraordinary Story to teach middles-schoolers how to write a short story in teams.

This past year, I was invited to bring YES to an after-school program at Washington Middle School in Aurora, Ill. What an honor!!!

We published an anthology of short stories called 3 Lessons. When you write a short story, you get creative confidence - not just about writing, but about creativity and about your ideas.

THANK YOU to Dr. Burton, WMS principal, the My Genius Now grant leaders Pat Swanson and Ann McBride, and the Dunham Foundation for believing that the arts transform all of us, especially our youth. And thank you to these young authors who, with a pencil, a spiral notebook and their imaginations created beautiful, unforgettable stories.

What do you have in your wheelhouse to give away? What knowledge, tools, advice, mentorship, passion can others benefit from?

Communication is a two-way highway. Information is delivered by one party and received by another. But a glitch on either end can change the game. Here’s a story that our family will laugh about for years to come.

I had scooped up our daughter Katherine in Chicago on Friday after her workday so she could spend Mother’s Day with us in the suburbs and attend our son Patrick’s graduation from Waubonsee Community College. Normally, she would take the commuter train, but she had laundry galore and presents and winter clothes to bring home so of course I obliged to be her Duber (Dad Uber).

As we were driving the 40 miles during a slow Friday rush hour, I asked her to call her brother so he could light the grill. We were having bratwurst for dinner. She quickly said, “Ahhh, I was hoping for tortellini soup.”

What’s a Dad to do? I had my heart set on brats. So I told her to check with Mom. Of course, I knew the answer before she could whip out her iPhone. My wife Michele is going to make whatever the children want. But, since she has a strict policy of turning off her phone everyday at 5 p.m., the question threaded through our youngest son.

Once off the phone, Katherine said we were supposed to stop at the grocery story and pick up spinach, chicken brats and Italian bread. “OK,” I’m thinking to myself. “We’re going to have both brats and tortellini soup.” An odd combination, but heck, I’m game.

Less than a mile from home, I run into the local Jewel and snap up the spinach and Italian bread. I scour the brat and chicken sections. No chicken brats. Drat. I ask the deli server where I can find chicken brats. She politely said she didn’t know and that’s not her department. Double drat. I then see a store worker leaving the nearby break room and ask her if she knows where the chicken brats are. “I’m sorry. I’m in floral, but I can get someone to help you.”

I’m hangry at this point and am eager to wash down my brat with an adult beverage. I decline her generous offer, grab the previously spotted turkey brats and say to myself: “These will have to do.”

I proudly walk into the house with the items, and my wife says: “Where is the chicken broth?”

Huh?

“Yes, the chicken broth for the tortellini soup,” she says with an expectant glance at the clock which reads almost 8 p.m.

I realized the error. Triple drat. (Just to tie up this story, we sent Junior out for the chicken broth and made him take a picture of the product before purchasing.)

The breakdown in this story may have occurred in the delivery or receiving of the information. And that can happen with companies and their clients.

Are your company’s messages and stories being correctly heard and portrayed to your customers and prospects? One way to make sure is to have a well-defined story that can be articulated in writing and verbally by everyone on your team.

Author and political adviser Frank Luntz wrote: “It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear.” Got that right!

By the way, the tortellini soup was great, as were the brats — grilled on a different night.

One hundred seven young men donned identical tuxedos. Their dates wore beautiful white debutante gowns with matching gloves that extended beyond the elbow. These young adults were experiencing their first “grown up” event where they were treated as equals. The setting was the Drury Lane Oak Brook ballroom, bulging with more than 800 attendees. The event was Marmion Academy’s “Salute to Youth” gala.

It sounds like a cliché, but these are our future trailblazers.

For the first hour of mingling and eating of appetizers, many of the seniors approached me with their right hand outstretched, a smile on their face and a “hello Mr. Kelly” on their lips. They introduced their dates and we engaged in small talk. I saw our son doing the same with other parents.

I have known these young men for four years, some of them longer. I’ve watched them grow from boys to men.

And the tone was set for the rest of the evening. The speeches were predictably genuine and heartfelt, and with each, the students could get a glimpse into their future – as independent-thinking adults, as future parents and as groundbreakers.

And then the spotlight shone on them. The 107 senior students and their dates beamed with nervous pride as each couple walked up on stage for their introductions. Each man graciously deferred to his date as she curtsied to the attendees. Each smiled and visibly exhaled as they left the stage, arm in arm.

“Salute to Youth” is their reward for four years of hard work. It’s their swansong before graduation.

Regardless of the path each takes, I know their future is bright, and they will make this world better. In fact, they already have.

Our family came together from five states to attend the @Twins Home Opener against Seattle on April 5. We came at the behest of our brother Dan who wanted all of us to spend his milestone birthday weekend in Minneapolis.

Our families assembled a few hours before the US men's curling team attempted to find any catcher's mitt with the ceremonial first pitches and before a beautiful bald eagle got confused and landed on the shoulder of a Twins player following the National Anthem.( Both made ESPN's Top 10 plays of the day).

As an avid Twins fan, it was my first time visiting Target Field. What an experience. But it was made even more exceptional because of the customer service we experienced from a Twins usher.

D'Ann K went above and beyond her duties to make our experience in Section P one that will never be forgotten. And here's why. My wife Michele does not consume caffeine, and as you can imagine, the temperatures in Minneapolis in early April are rather frosty. So I went in search of a decaffeinated cup of anything hot. I scurried to the nearby food vendors in the lounge hoping to secure a cup and not miss any of the game. Decaf was not an offering. D'Ann then led me (literally led me) to a place where she thought decaf was served. That vendor apologized and directed me to two specific locations in the lower level. So I marched down the stairs and waited in line with my back to the vendors so I could watch the field. Surprise, surprise. No decaf.

I sauntered back to Section P and D'Ann asked if I had any luck. I said, unfortunately no.

One inning later, D'Ann appeared in our row and presented my wife with a steaming cup of decaf coffee. The entire section cheered and I couldn't have been more grateful. I offered to pay D'Ann and give her a nice tip, but she refused both. Her whole goal on that opening day was to make the fan experience memorable. And Wow. D'Ann hit it out of the park. (Sorry, I had to).

Minnesota Nice is alive and thriving.

It may seem trivial, but the fact that D'Ann took it upon herself to make one fan from Chicago feel special, speaks volumes about her and the #MNTwins organization.

D'Ann's individual passion to serve one person is a lesson we can all take in approaching customer service.

So if you happen to find yourself near Section P at Target Field during a Twins game, look for D'Ann and tell her the crazy decaf coffee guy from Chicago says hello. That will make her day, just as she made mine.

Telling stories. That’s what people do. We tell them when we lunch with associates and at the dinner table when we talk about our day. According to Jeremy Hsu in Scientific American, two-thirds of our everyday conversations are made up of stories. Take, for instance, my cousin Richie. He holds court at every family function, unaware that his authentic, humorous storytelling is seductive.

He is also passing along stories for the next generation. Storytellers leave legacies in their wake.

Companies have a story to tell as well. Their stories win hearts -- the place where people make purchasing decisions. Through the company’s values, culture, programs, audience, products and people, they show how their brand differentiates itself from competitors.

Here are six tips for great brand storytelling:

1) Resolve a problem or conflict. Like a book or a movie, the story plot always finds the protagonist up to his or her eyeballs in conflict. Stories that explain how a company helped a customer overcome a specific challenge are noteworthy and remembered. “If you do what you do well, and you share your story, your brand will race to the top,” says Brian Chesky, CEO at Airbnb.

3) Evoke emotion. This might be a call to action or spark an idea. “People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic,” says Seth Godin, author.

4) Back your story with data. Data is social proof that your product or service works. Remember, your audience buys with their hearts, but backs up their decisions with logic. Author Dr. Brene Brown says: “Maybe stories are just data with a soul.”

5) Be consistent. From the person at the front desk to the loading dock to the C-suite, ask: Is everyone telling the same story? “You can’t separate the message from the messenger,” says Michael Margolis, CEO of Get Storied.

6) Know your audience. Your audience is one person. It’s the individual reading your story, listening to your story or watching your story at any given moment. “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but the stories you tell,” according to Godin.

So a weasel walks into a bar. The bartender says, “In all my years of bartending, I’ve never served a weasel. What can I get you?

“Pop,” goes the weasel.

Maybe it’s my opener the next time I see my cousin Richie. Who knows? Maybe this corny joke will be the center of his storytelling — until a better story comes along.

Einstein (has there been a more oft-quoted genius since the late 1800s?) loved questions. He once said that if he had an hour to solve a problem where his life depended upon the solution, he would spend the first 55 minutes figuring out the question.

If I were in his shoes, I would probably Google the answer, then eat a cookie. But therein lies the reason no one has ever called me a genius.

When it comes to brand, asking the right questions matters. In the many brands we help build, we begin by talking to our client's audience - real people outside the organization who either have had contact with the company or who could potentially be buyers. From advocates who wouldn't buy elsewhere to the ones who up and left to complete strangers, their answers give us something every single brand hungers for: the truth.

Here are the main questions I oftentimes ask. I'll call the client Company A:

What is special about Company A - what sets them apart? (this points to their value proposition)

Why did you choose them? (this points to their value proposition)

What problem did they solve that other firms could not? (this points to what makes them different and their mission)

What extra value did they bring? (this points to what makes them different)

What are three words you would use to describe Company A? (this points to their style)

Would you recommend them to a friend and why? (this points to their value proposition)

If Company A were a person, how would you describe him or her? (this points to their voice as a company)

If you did not work with Company A, where would you have gone? (this shows our first line of competitors)

How did their culture or values contribute to your decision to choose them? (this points to values)

If you no longer work with Company A, what ended the relationship? (this points to misperceptions, process issues or possible internal problems)

If company A were a piece of music, how would you describe them? (this uses other creative mediums besides words to show style)

Should there be a zombie apocalypse, how would Company A save the world? (this points to vision; plus it's a fun question to ask)

... from these questions, the conversation multiplies and you get even deeper answers. What brand questions do you ask your clients?

I was in my early 30s and was sitting at my desk with my feet up with a pencil behind my ear. My boss came up to me and said, “Why aren’t you working?” I said, “I am. I’m thinking of how I want to present this story.” He said, “Well get your feet off the desk and get writing.” He wanted me to make the appearance of “working.”

This is where fiction and nonfiction take leave of one another.

The truth is that you are a creative. Don’t believe me? If you solve problems, lead people, write emails, listen to others and synthesize responses, prepare presentations and reports, share ideas, then you are a creative. It doesn’t matter if you are a museum docent, accountant, keeper of the armadillos or CEO.

Now that your creative DNA has been confirmed, know that all creatives need time to think.

In my profession, I write. To do that, I must visualize a situation, much like a coach or manager visualizes a game. I take into account all the players, all the potential situations before me, anticipate what I can and should do, and then proceed with a game plan to set down words that, hopefully, inform and entertain.

Ninety percent of writing is not putting fingertips to keyboard. It’s the thinking, preparing, planning and research. Writing is the execution of the creative.

As you consider creativity in your life and the people you lead, go for the creative sea, not the creative silo.

A sea is vast, abundant and enduring. Encourage an environment that offers people a creative sea from which to innovate. It might include noise filters or a basket of headphones, atmosphere, identifying people’s creative peaks (Hemingway liked to write at 3 a.m.), and suggesting uninterrupted “thinking time” be put in people’s schedules. The path to your creative zone and the people you lead is different for every person. Honoring the different paths is key.

Companies often say they want their employees to “think outside the box,” which is another way of saying they want them to be creative.

Speaking of thinking outside the box, there’s no better way to get the creative juices flowing than authoring a short story. K+L Storytellers does exactly that with its half-day workshop called Your Extraordinary Story™ for Corporate Innovators. We break down barriers to creativity through team story writing. A quote by George Saunders sums it up: “When you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you.” Imagine what happens when authors collaborate and write one!

And about that colleague staring out the window with a dazed look? Now you know. They are really working — working at making your company better through creative thinking.

The US Economic growth trajectory is expected to continue near a 2 percent tortoise pace into 2018, barring any unforeseen shocks, with the manufacturing sector increasing a "little below" that percentage, based on economic data being used by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

That's not necessarily a bad situation, according to William A. Strauss, senior economist and economic advisor for the Chicago Fed. The moderate growth is occurring around the globe and across all sectors. “Because of that (moderate growth) the risk of recession is reduced," he said at the Valley Industrial Association's 2018 Economic Outlook breakfast.

Other economic points Strauss noted:

The US is in its ninth year of expansion and could break the record of 120 consecutive expansion months.

Employment increased by 2 million jobs over the past 12 months. Of those, manufacturers added 156,000 jobs year over year, which “is not an impressive gain historically.”

Unemployment has fallen to 4.1 percent, with 25 percent of those unemployed have been so for more than six months.

Wages grew by 2.5 percent (nominally) or by about 1 percent when taking inflation into account.

The growth of manufacturing in the US is not expected to come from the automotive sector.

The housing market is slowly coming back and is expected to be back to normal by 2020.

The US economy is expected to expand at trend (2 percent) through 2020.

Light vehicle sales will continue to edge lower through 2018.

Inflation is expected to rise to the Fed’s inflation target next year with the possibility of one more rate hike this year (December) and a projected three more hikes in 2018.

In addition to these, Strauss is "hopeful" that manufacturers and other companies are in an "investment cycle," which can lead to higher productivity and growth.

K+L Storytellers is a B2B corporate storytelling company. We use your story to make your brand memorable. Our mission is to build inspired trust between you and your audience. We are a boutique agency led by an award-winning journalist, a published ghostwriter, and a small team of writers who love a good story.

Be in the know.

Sign up for the Sunday Pasta blog + occasional love notes + inspiring words about living your best story.